A student arrested at Llandrillo College had indecent images of young children on his two mobile phones.

To make matters worse, Tristan Richard Hughes was already on a suspended prison sentence for committing similar offences.

Mold Crown Court today heard how at the time of the latest offences he was supposed to be on an internet sex offender programme.

Hughes, 26, described as “highly manipulative” and taking little responsibility for his crimes, denied any sexual motive in looking at the images.

Police had executed a search warrant at his home in Groesffordd at Henllan near Denbigh , before going to the college, where they arrested him.

There were seven category A movies of children and four still images at category A and C.

At the time he was on a suspended sentence for earlier offences which he got after a child porn stash was found during a previous raid at his former home in Llansannan.

The judge at Mold Crown Court, Miss Recorder Gaynor Lloyd, said that he had been leading a double persona.

He was described as manipulative and a high risk of re-offending. and Judge Lloyd said that the pre-sentence report from the probation service made “grave reading” .

He had started the internet sex offender programme in November 2013 which was there to help him tackle his behaviour but he began offending again in February 2014.

She said that he had engaged with the programme but that engagement “must have been superficial”.

His barrister Simon Rogers said that the present case involved seven movies and one still image at the most serious category A, and three still images at category C

His family had been trying to get him assistance and had been in touch with a foundation to help try and address the underlying issues that he had, Mr Rogers explained.

He stressed that there had been no escalation in his offending and no attempt to contact young females.

“It is not that sort of case,” he said.

It was hoped that he would get the assistance he needed on his release but the reality was that until he accepted the problem it would be difficult for him to receive the treatment that he needed to make progress.

That would enable him to put his offending behind him and move on, and as he was still only 26 he had an opportunity to change.

There were issues which he did not want canvassed in open court which may provide an explanation for his behaviour.